May 20, 2008

PERU, IN — Rock Hollow, ranked 4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest, has been chosen as the facility to host the Carl Spackler Open Championship. The Tim Liddy designed course hosts the June event with very special character including deceptively obese fairways that are simply luxurious.

"We are very happy with our tournament course and unique opportunities off the tee," said Chairman of the Captains Club, Greg Long. "The Captains Club has indeed chosen a super layout with ample fairway off the tee for plenty of wayward shots."

The fairways are for the most part generous for the first 240 yards. Many of the fairways fall off on both sides two to three feet down into tall manicured rough or unplayable brush. This is the true greatness of Rock Hollow: Tim Liddy gives you a fair target to aim at, but if you should miss or get greedy with driver, you are in trouble and sometimes dead.

"The fairways are obsese, but not morbidly obese like Grande Golf Club," says Long. "The Rock Hollow design will tighten the tournament a little from last year and tighten considerably inside 150 yards."

The course character deceptively and quietly provides a safe haven for moderate slices and hooks with one exception. The 6th hole will play every bit 571 yards from the Carl Spackler Open tournament tees. The longest hole in tournament history is as tight as anything at Mountain Valley and finishes with an uphill approach shot.

The course features bentgrass fairways in immaculate condition. "We are dealing with upscale fairways, but without divots or cart wear," says Long. "I would define the fairways as luxurious as you have ever seen. I say this because they are perfectly manicured and similar to Tanglewood Park or a nice private course."

A handful of fairways bulge with fairway behind and adjacent to greens. "Some fairway out there is really generous," says Tom Fowble. "Way left on Hole 3 and near the green is almost out of control. Very similar to Hole 17 at Cooks Creek and Hole 15 at the Grande."

Most of the fairways are tree-lined with dense hardwoods and wetlands covered in brush. The complete yardage book and photographs are available online.

Participants will notice lots of blue water while browsing the online yardage book," says Long. "Rock Hollow has the most water since Thunder Hill, but some of the blue noted in the yardage book is not necessarily water. Blue with black markings equals large brush hazard prone to flooding. The general feel of the course has 20 percent less water than the yardage book suggests, but the trouble is still out there."

The 2008 Carl Spackler Open Championship will be played in Peru, IN. The tournament field is presently set at a record-high 72 golfers. There is a mandatory player meeting scheduled for 8:45AM on Thursday, June 5.